The 8 Best Reloading Presses For Accuracy

One of the top reasons many shooters opt to reload their ammunition is to improve their shooting accuracy. Handloading allows you to fine-tune your cases to perform exactly how you want them to with your rifle, resulting in much higher consistency.

Best Reloading Presses For Accuracy Reviewed

There are many different reloading presses on the market. If you’re looking to create more accurate loads, you’ll need to know what to look for to get your desired results. That’s why I’ve tested and reviewed the 8 best reloading presses for accuracy.

As well as rating each model on its accuracy and consistency, I’ve also reviewed other important factors such as quality, ease of use, and extra features. Moreover, I’ve included options from all price ranges, so whatever your budget, you can find the most accurate reloading press for your needs.

Is Reloading Something You Want to Get Into?

There are many benefits to reloading your ammunition. Not only does it save you money, but it can greatly improve your accuracy and can be a fun hobby too. Moreover, reloading gives you the power to customize your cases to perform exactly how you want them to with your gun.

If you’re unsure if reloading is for you, here are the ways that reloading can improve your shooting.

Accuracy

• Handloading your ammunition rather than buying factory-produced will allow you to achieve much higher accuracy and consistency with your loads. This is especially true if you’re a long-range precision shooter.
• Factory-made ammunition can often have minor differences in powder charges, concentricity of bullets with the neck of the cartridge, and other small defects. This is unavoidable in factory manufacturing as it focuses on producing ammunition in bulk.
• The process of reloading your ammunition by hand gives you the chance to inspect each round for quality as you are loading it.

Cost

• Many reloaders take up reloading as a way to save money. Although the savings may not seem extremely high per round, it does pay off over time and the more you shoot, the more money you will save.
• You’ll save the most money if you use “oddball” calibers or large rifle ammunition. For example, handloading .300 BLK will cost around 50 cents a round, while purchasing comparable ammunition from a manufacturer will cost between 1 and 2 dollars per round.

Fun

• Aside from the accuracy improvement and cost savings, many shooters choose to reload purely as a hobby. Some people even enjoy reloading their ammunition more than shooting it.
• Reloading is an “easy to learn, difficult to master” hobby that many people find intriguing. You can easily get started with the necessary equipment for a very affordable price, but becoming an expert in the field takes years of experience, practice, and lots of expensive equipment!

What To Consider When Buying A Reloading Press

Your reloading press should suit your shooting style and needs. Here are the top things to think about when making your choice.

Construction Quality

The better the press is constructed, the longer it will last, and, therefore, the better return on investment you will get from it. Here are my recommendations on choosing a well-constructed reloading press:

1. Buy from a reputable manufacturer that builds their presses in the USA, like all the models on this list.
2. Opt for a press that has been made with steel or cast iron as these are of higher quality and more durable materials than aluminum.

Upgrade options

Many manufacturers offer aftermarket components for their presses. Often, a wide range of the manufacturers’ products are compatible with many or all of their presses. In other cases, add-ons will only be compatible with certain presses. Sometimes you’ll even find other manufacturers with components compatible with another brand’s presses.

Get to know what’s out there and what you think you’ll want. It usually isn’t hard to find a great press with the aftermarket upgrades that you need. One of the most common examples is a powder measure that fits in a die socket and serves as one ‘stage’ on a progressive press.

Ease of use

A press that runs smoothly is going to greatly improve your reloading experience. Many functions make the press easier to use. Here are a few features to look out for:

1. An integrated primer catcher
2. A wide base that’s easy to mount
3. A ratchet-style height adjustment knob
4. A pre-lubricated press

Accessories

Many different accessories may be included with your new press such as additional turret heads and a quick-change bushing. Some single stage presses will also have priming attachments that let you prime at the same time rather than having to use a separate hand priming setup.

Moreover, many manufacturers will additionally sell their press as part of a full kit which will include everything you need for the reloading process.

Die Changing System

Some reloading presses feature a quick-change die system. This is a useful addition that helps to speed up the die-changing process. With a quick-change system, you don’t need to waste time re-adjusting as you can change the die immediately just by twisting.

Single-Stage VS Turret VS Progressive Press

Let’s compare the 3 types of reloading press available.

Single-stage Press

• A single-stage press is one of the slowest methods of reloading.
• It can only perform one operation at a time.
• The die must be changed every time you need to switch operations.
• A single-stage press is the cheapest press style.
• Single-stage presses value precision over quantity resulting in extreme accuracy. This makes them a very good option for beginners or low volume shooters.
• They require much more time, involvement, and focus, compared to other styles, however, this can help you learn the fundamentals of the reloading process.

A single-stage press is the best option for you if:

1. You primarily load rifles and small quantities of ammunition
2. You’re just starting and are on a budget
3. You want to spend the extra time on the process to ensure the best accuracy

Turret Press

• A turret press is similar to a single-stage press as it only performs one operation per pull of the lever.
• The difference is in how it holds the dies. A turret press has a rotating cylinder at the top that holds all the dies needed to load your rounds. This means you don’t have to remove the case from the press after every step.
• To use a turret press, you simply pull the lever to operate, then index the turret to bring around the die for the next step.
• This allows you to create a fully-loaded round with just a few pulls of the lever. Some models even have an auto-indexing feature so that all you have to do is pull the lever!
• They are considerably faster than a single stage press, but also more expensive. They are also a bit slower than a progressive, but much cheaper. Therefore they make a good compromise between the two.

A turret press is the best option for you if:

1. You favor accuracy and attention to detail over speed.
2. You’re willing to spend a bit more money to get a press with decent speed.
3. You’re new to reloading so you want something simpler than a progressive press.

Progressive Press

• A progressive press is the most efficient, but also the most expensive type of reloading press.
• With experience, it’s possible to load up to 1,000 rounds in an hour. This type of press achieves these speeds by performing multiple operations at once.
• As well as performing the process in a quicker time, progressive presses also work well with larger calibers. This style could be an option if you tend to reload large magnum rounds, especially in high quantities.
• A progressive press holds all the dies at the top of the press but also has multiple shell holders.
• To use this press you just put in all the components, set it to your preference, and start pulling the lever. Pretty soon you’ll get one completed round per pull.
• Many progressive presses also come with automatic feeders which will insert your cases, primers, powder, and bullets into the process as needed.

A couple of points to note if you’re thinking of upgrading from a single-stage press to a progressive model:

• As a progressive press has multiple shell holders, you will need to set up your dies in a specific way and continually check that they are properly tuned. Perfect consistency can be harder to guarantee.
• One of the stages can be filled by a powder charge instead of completing this step off the press like with a single-stage press.
• A progressive press can be much more complicated to use than a single-stage or turret press. For this reason, it’s more likely that something will go wrong such as jam or breakage.

A progressive press is the best option for you if:

1. You shoot large quantities of ammunition
2. You’re happy to pay a lot more to save time
3. You’re mechanically inclined and you want the best, most advanced machine.

What Is Auto-indexing On A Reloading Press?

Indexing means moving the dies to the next position. With a manual indexing press, you have to advance the dies or case holders by hand.

An auto-indexing press automatically “indexes” the dies or case holders to the next step for you by rotating them around.

• The auto-indexing feature can be found on many progressive presses.
• Automatic indexing requires about 25% of the stroke length to rotate the shell plate.
• It’s easier to load longer cartridges on a manually-indexed press than on an auto-indexing machine.
• If you are new to reloading it may be best to start with manual indexing as it is easier to learn.

With automation comes potential complications. Some shooters will say that auto-indexing unnecessarily complicates the machine or that manual indexing gives you more control. If it’s your first time using a press with the auto-indexing function, take your time. By slowing down and concentrating on how the automation works you will still produce plenty of ammo but you will get more accurate end results, too.

How automated presses work and do you need one?

Different presses will offer different automation features.

• The most basic features that an automated press offers are case feeders and bullet feeders. These feeders automatically place new brass casings and new bullets into the press so all you need to do is pull the handle and keep the various components topped up.
• The press’s lever can have an “auto-drive” feature that has the addition of a motor to move in without you physically needing to.
• An automatic press can have automated functions for different steps of the process. This allows you to de-prime, primer pocket swage, bulge bust, or size cast bullets as fast as you can operate the lever.

Automated reloading presses cost a lot more than manual presses. Because of the significant price difference, unless you shoot a lot and/or shoot large calibers, you may not see a return on your investment.

However, because automated presses are much quicker than manual ones, you will spend much less time reloading. Therefore, you only really need an automated press if you’re shooting large quantities, or if you want to make the reloading process as short as possible, and don’t mind paying to do so.

How to change calibers on your press

Turret and progressive presses allow you to install all the dies you need at once and process complete rounds of ammunition one after another. After you install and adjust the dies, you will only need to regularly check that they are still set correctly.

When you want to load a different caliber, you can change several dies at once, usually with “quick-change” mechanisms. For example, you can have extra turrets that hold all the dies necessary for reloading any given caliber. Simply switch out the turrets.

How To Use A Reloading Press

Here are some general guidelines for using a manual single-stage reloading press.

1. First, clean the cases. Make sure every case you’re going to use is clean and has no deformities or defects.
2. Then lubricate each case. This is needed because of the force that the cartridges will go through.
3. Install the shell holder in the press to keep the cartridge in position. Keep in mind that different bullets require different sizes of shell holders.
4. Next, install the sizing die and ensure it’s in the right position. Make sure the sizer touches the shell holder when you pull the lever.
5. With the sizing die in position, secure the lock ring.
6. Fix the case into the shell holder by lowering the lever. This will resize the case to the proper dimensions.
7. If the case is too long, trim it for proper chambering. After using a case several times it can become longer than it should be.
8. Prime the case. Place all the primers in a tray making sure the anvil is at the top. Then position one in the primer ram, raise it and insert the case into the shell holder so the primer is at the bottom of the case. Slowly raise the shell holder to set the primer in the case.
9. Fill the case with the correct powder load. Use a reloading scale to ensure accuracy.
10. Fix the bullet into the case. Hold it on top of the case while you raise the shell holder to ensure the die pushes the bullet into the case. Then lower the shell case and check the bullet is at the right depth.

What is The Best Reloading Press?

Some shooters will prefer a manual single-stage press with a simplistic design while others will want to splash out on a fully automated progressive machine. The good news is that both styles have the potential to immensely improve the accuracy and consistency of your loads.

The most important thing when choosing a press is to choose the one you feel most comfortable with. All the machines on this list are from reputable brands, so you can’t go wrong with any of them.

After testing all 8 reloading presses I was very impressed with the quality, durability, and consistency of them all. However, the one I feel is the best reloading press for accuracy is the Redding – Ultramag reloading press

The Lock-N-Load auto has all the features of a top-quality automotic progressive press but without such a hefty price tag. The quick-change functioning and high round output make it the best choice for serious reloaders looking to take their handloading skills to the next level.

I hope this guide has given you a clearer understanding of how a reloading press can help you get more accurate rounds, and what to look for when choosing your next press.